La Mesa council to weigh expansion of alcohol ban

Citing an increase in alcohol-related police calls, La Mesa tonight will consider whether to ban alcohol from public places.

Alcohol already is banned from city parks, but the La Mesa City Council could approve an ordinance extending that prohibition to a variety of other public spaces, including public parking structures, alleys and streets.

The ordinance would not go into effect before December. No specific fines are included in the ordinance, but under the city's codes, infractions can carry fines of up to $250, police officials said.

The city wouldn't be the first to ban alcohol in public places. San Diego also bans alcohol in many public spaces, as does El Cajon.

Councilman Ernest Ewin said yesterday he wanted to get more clarification on how broadly the ordinance would be applied.

According to a city staff report, the La Mesa Police Department saw a significant increase between last year and this year on calls involving alcohol consumption. The number jumped from 178 calls between early April and early October 2008 to 272 calls during the same period in 2009.